6.44 - Duels and Mage Cores
There was once a thriving city in the endless crater. Jan stood at the edge of that crater, following the line drawn for him by his skill. Rain poured overhead, pooling in spots near the edge of the hole before falling down the edge like an endless waterfall. The pool that had collected in the bottom was vast, soon to be an impressive lake if the rainfall continued. He found a seat on a rock, looking down at the shattered mask of Twist. It would be easy to pull the trigger now. But that was an act that would provide no closure.
The masked elf stirred eventually. Pushing himself to a seated position and casting aside his broken mask. The scarred features of an aging warrior greeted him. Twist nodded, rubbing his head as though the fall had only given him a bump.
“How long have you been waiting for this?” Jan asked, gesturing with his revolver.
“Not as long as you would think,” Twist said, rolling his shoulders. He checked his hips, finding his weapons there.
“We thought you were on our side, you know. Thought you were one of us. Should’ve never trusted an alien.”
Twist scoffed, looking up to the sky above. A bolt of lightning streaked across the clouds as the rain ran down his face. “Does it even matter? You won. There. Is that what you wanted to hear?”
“No. I want to know why you joined Death’s side. Why did you open the Gate?”
Twist released a heavy sigh, falling back into the mud. “Because I thought my people could survive. A hope that we wouldn’t become fuel for this transition.”
Jan leaned in, training the revolver on the elf. “You don’t listen. You’ve never listened. That’s what we stopped, you idiot. We put a pause on the whole damn thing. That’s why we’re here!”